Structured vs Unstructured Data Basics

Context

Data teams at companies like Spotify work with both relational tables and raw content such as text, images, and logs. Interviewers ask this question to check whether you understand how data shape affects storage, querying, and analytics workflows.

Core Question

Explain the difference between structured and unstructured data. In your answer, cover:

1. How each type is organized
2. Typical storage systems and formats used for each
3. How SQL works well with one and is more limited with the other
4. Real-world examples of each in analytics or data engineering

Scope Guidance

Keep the answer practical and database-focused. You do not need to go deep into machine learning or distributed systems, but you should clearly explain why structured data is easier to query with SQL and why unstructured data often requires preprocessing, extraction, or transformation before analysis.